OU School of Music will host internationally recognized Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero for a free master class and concert in Sharp Hall Tuesday.
The master class will take place at 12 p.m. and the concert will follow at 8 p.m. The program for Montero’s evening concert includes five pieces, one of which will be improvised to a Charlie Chaplin silent film.
Jonathan Nichol, director of the school of music, wrote in an email to OU Daily that he is excited for Montero’s visit to campus.
“She’s a world-class pianist and an amazing musician,” Nichol wrote. “(It’s a) truly unique experience for the audience.”
John Patrick Murphy, assistant professor of music and area piano chair, told the Daily he and other faculty helped organize Montero’s visit to campus as part of a community outreach series.
“Montero, in the field of piano, is really a significant figure,” Murphy said. “She has concertized all around the world, and she’s known as a very versatile, 21st-century artist that can play a wide range of classical repertoire.”
According to Murphy, Montero is known for her improvisation skills.
“That’s something that’s really unique about Montero’s profile as an artist,” Murphy said. “It's sort of an art form that is having a resurgence, and I think Montero is very much on the forward edge of that.”
Murphy said the master class will be an interactive way for people to engage with a well-known pianist.
“Master classes are really an incredible opportunity for our students to work one-on-one with an artist,” Murphy said. “The idea of a master class really dates back to people like (Franz) Liszt, for example, who would have these large profiles, and they would give lessons in front of an audience.”
Sara Ernst, director of piano pedagogy and associate professor, has followed Montero’s career for over a decade.
“It was really exciting to discover that she was able to come here to Oklahoma because this will be the first time that I’ve heard her live,” Ernst said.
Ernst said the school of music is serving the community by opening its doors for the performance free of charge.
“This is a free concert, open to really anyone in the community,” Ernst said. “It’s just a good reminder to all of us that community and music and broadening our own global awareness is really important.”
Ernst works with undergraduate and graduate students in their piano pedagogy courses and is eager to see what students will gain from attending the master class.
“I have not heard her teach and it’s interesting when you have a concert artist come in and work with students,” Ernst said. “...that kind of concert artist who has really worked to cultivate that unique voice for themselves over their career could really bring something kind of unique to our students.”
Savannah Self, a third-year piano doctoral student and teaching assistant, is excited to be one of three students performing in Montero’s master class.
“We’re working with her, but also the audience is there and learning from her as well,” Self said.
Self said master class opportunities like this are inspiring to her as both a teacher and a performer.
“It’s exciting to have someone so incredibly accomplished and internationally renowned visit OU,” Self said. “I hope to have opportunities performing myself and teaching, maybe giving master classes like this. It’s just a great growing experience to work with artists at this level, and it really helps me in my own playing.”
This story was edited by Macey Thaxton and Audrey McClour.
